Published on Oct 12, 2015
David grew up on the SW coast of Canada. In the mid-70’s, he discovered the subject of consciousness, then Transcendental Meditation (TM). This was quite a revelation. He quickly became a keener, avidly attending many talks and courses. Nine months after starting TM, he arrived in NE France for a 6 month retreat where he would train to become a teacher of TM.

After 3 months with lots of purification and clearing, he had sporadic witnessing experiences where awareness shifted briefly into an observer mode. Then in the second 3 months, the lights came on. With a blinding flash of white light (which he much later learned was makara), the witness became permanent, throughout waking, dreams and sleep. At first, he was over-attentive, keeping the mind awake to observe sleeping and manipulate dreams. But quickly that settled into a simple continuity of awareness underlying all experience.

Soon after that, the first re-cognition happened, a form of experience where everything about the object is known. This enlivens that principle in consciousness, making it easier for still others to have the same. In this case, it was hiranya gharba or the golden egg – the seed and origin of the universe. It took months to unpack it. Perception continued to unfold from there. At the end of the course, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi confirmed the experiences and said there would be much more.

As David returned to normal life, it became clear that Self had woken internally but had not woken up to Itself in this form yet. Self co-existed with an identified ego. But subtle perception continued to unfold in a myriad of ways.

David’s life grew into career, marriage, and family. Inner development continued but took a back seat for a number of years to the usual demands of a householders life. This helped ground and integrate what was unfolding and culture the platform further. Then in 2005, life made several unexpected changes. The spiritual side of life again moved to the forefront. He reconnected with some old friends. A few it turned out had become Self-Realized.

After some feedback and darshan with Lorne Hoff, Self at last woke up to Itself here as well. Probably because of the long witnessing, this was quickly followed by a series of profound shifts in Being. And that in turn by transcending Being into Brahman. The unfolding continues.http://www.lucialorn.net/ [link Lorne Hoff]http://davidya.ca/2014/01/25/stages-o&#8230; [link “a series of profound shifts”]

Accompanying this process, writing began to help integrate what was unfolding. Then the call came to share those discoveries on-line under the nickname Davidya. David was present for and helped support the awakenings of many others, leading to a broad understanding of the varieties of this process. The writing evolved into a large blog discussing many of the aspects of the approach, shift, integration and embodiment of transpersonal stages of development, otherwise known as enlightenment. In 2011, David obtained a graduate degree in Vedic Science. He anticipates releasing a first book on transpersonal stages later in 2015.

David has a professional background in software design and development in several industries but now works mostly with WordPress. For this interview, rather than listening from the mind to a story, I invite you to take a different approach. Settle back into presence and notice the talking and the listening. Give the content less weight and notice the experiencing itself. This is where the magic is, in simple awareness.

Deep listening – the kind of listening that brings intimacy and understanding – takes intentional practice. This talk looks at the societal and inner obstacles to an undistracted presence, and the mindfulness strategies that nourish our capacity to listen in a way that heals and connects.

“To listen is to lean in, softly, with a willingness to be changed by what we hear.” Mark Nepo

In January of 2012, Robert Rabbin was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer. The prognosis offered him was, statistically speaking, about nine months of life. It is now almost two years since that prediction and he is still with us.

In the middle of 2013, Robert, who has already published eight books and a couple hundred articles on the theme of self-awareness, began writing a series of 170-character expressions of his journey into the very depths of inner silence. With the help of his longtime graphic designer, Jane Green, put these expressions — verbal waves of wonder from the ocean of silence — onto images.

I decided to publish this collection of “memes” by Robert, because of the effect his words had on me. Because his words come from a place of silence, they awaken the presence of silence within the reader. And from silence springs forth waves of peace, understanding, and joy.

Certainly, we can all benefit from more peace, understanding, and joy, which is why I felt inspired to publish a collection of his words from silence and share them with you.

What touches you most is that each short expression speaks more about this extraordinary man’s life and thoughts than any 2000 page biography ever could.

If you are interested in living an inspired life, one rich with depth and peace and clarity, one overflowing with the presence of your own inner truth, you will want to read this book.

At 11 years of age, Robert began seeking answers to such perennial questions as Who am I? What is real? How shall I live?

His seeking took him on adventures throughout the world, from the beaches of Mexico to the forests of Finland, from the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California to the Sinai Desert of Israel, from Kabul, Afghanistan to Bangkok, Thailand. The list of jobs Robert held during these years include truck driver, drug dealer, mountain guide, baker, factory worker, and civilian employee of the Israeli Air Force.

In 1973, after a three-month overland trek that began in Chamonix, France, he entered India. There, he met Swami Muktananda Paramahamsa, with whom Robert lived and worked for the next 10 years.

Robert began his own work in 1985, as a distinctive self-awareness facilitator, leadership adviser, and author. He launched several ventures, including Catalysts for Clarity, Hamsa Institute for Enlightened Leadership, Truth for President, Radical Sages, and RealTime Speaking. In 2010, while living in Australia, Robert synthesized his almost 50 years of spiritual study, practice, and inner experience into The 5 Principles of Authentic Living.

In addition to presenting more than 300 of his signature seminars (currently called “Conversations on the High Wire”), Robert has honed his unique style of public speaking in numerous workshops, meetings, lectures, keynote speeches, and conference presentations. As a personal adviser, leadership coach, and public speaking guru, he has worked with a cultural cross-section of people, including corporate executives, professionals, rock musicians, best-selling authors, fashion designers, spiritual teachers, educators, and entrepreneurs.

Robert has published eight books and more than 200 articles on the themes of meditation, self-inquiry, authentic leadership, truthful self-expression, and spiritual activism. He authored a pioneering column for The New Leaders executive newsletter, called “The Corporate Mystic”; was commissioned to write original essays for three leading-edge anthologies on topics related to spirituality and authenticity in the workplace; and was interviewed for The Awakening West, a collection of conversations with contemporary Western wisdom teachers. He also wrote and produced a 30-minute documentary entitled Brilliant Business: A Roadmap to the 21st Century. Robert is a certified firewalk instructor who has designed and led numerous outdoor adventures for various organizations.

Just as presence is the heart of meditation, so deep listening is at the center of all conscious, loving relationships. This talk explores how our wants and fears block listening, ways we can deepen our capacity for listening, and the healing that unfolds when we truly feel heard by another.

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Listening with our full heart and attention is the gateway to understanding and love. This talk explores the challenges to deep listening, and offers ways of paying attention that awaken a healing listening presence.